The Ohio Board of Building Standards is comprised of fifteen members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Board formulates and adopts rules governing the erection, construction, repair, and alteration of buildings known as the Ohio Building Code, Ohio Mechanical Code, Ohio Plumbing Code, and the Residential Code of Ohio. The Board certifies county, township and municipal building departments to enforce these codes. The Board is also responsible for the formulation of rules governing industrialized units, installation of equipment, installation and operation of boilers and unfired pressure vessels, and the construction of elevators. The Board employs professional and support staff to assist it in the fulfillment of these duties. Additionally, the Board appoints an Executive Secretary to manage the day-to-day operations of the Board Office.

Regina Hanshaw is the Executive Secretary for the Ohio Board of Building Standards. Prior to her appointment as Executive Secretary in 2009, Ms. Hanshaw acted as in house legal counsel for the Division of Industrial Compliance in the Department of Commerce where she provided assistance to the State’s building department, boiler and elevator sections, and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board. Ms. Hanshaw also previously served as Staff Attorney for the Summit County Council where she worked on county legislative and policy matters with a particular focus on land use. She received her BA from Ohio University and JD from the University of Akron School of Law.

Committees

Certification Committee
The certification committee provides general oversight to the Board’s personnel and building department certification program. The committee reviews personnel and building department certification applications and makes recommendations to the Board for action on the applications.Education Committee
The education committee provides general oversight to the board's continuing education program. The committee reviews continuing education course applications and makes recommendations to the Board for action on the applications.

Code Committee
The code committee provides general oversight of the Board's rule promulgation and code development activities. The committee reviews proposed rule changes and petitions for code changes and makes recommendations to the Board for action.Residential Construction Advisory Committee

Electrical Safety InspectorsCertified Electrical Safety Inspectors inspect electrical work for compliance with the Ohio Building Code, the Residential Code of Ohio and the National Electrical Code.

Fire Protection DesignersA certified fire protection system designer is a person, other than a registered design professional, who qualified to submit fire protection system designs to a building department for approval and that maintains a certification from the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) as an automatic sprinkler system designer, a fire alarm system designer, and/or a special hazards system designer.

Online Plan Submission ProgramDesigns for Industrialized Units are submitted electronically for review by the Board for compliance with Ohio’s building codes and are inspected in the factory before they are brought to the construction site assuring expedient and reduced cost completion of a construction project.